Capturing Jackson’s Memories Since 2009

Picture This…Jackson has been a cornerstone of the Jackson community for decades. Some may remember a small photo store in the Westwood Mall, where Kyle Hockley, co-owner of Picture This…Jackson got his start in the community. In 2009, Kyle and his business partner, David Hood, got word from Ritz Camera that their store was next to be closed, due to the upcoming recession. Before opening at the bottom of the recession, attending conferences and conventions, people in the industry wondered, “Who would open a photo store right now?”

Years later, Picture This…Jackson has grown to be an internationally recognized photo imaging store. What they found as an old office space ended up being the store they now call home, located on Wisner Street. Their store has seen plenty of evolution over time, including doubling its size by 2016. The reason Picture This…Jackson is so successful and is as widely recognized as it is, especially after opening at such an uncertain time, is because it’s not your typical photography store.

Picture This…Jackson offers a wide variety of products and services. They are an imaging store, not limited to just prints.  They take advantage of opportunities through national buying groups IPI (Independent Photo Imagers) and Pro. Pro offers high-quality cameras and photography equipment. These associations allow Picture This…Jackson to compete in camera sales and in photo products compared to the national competition.

They can print up to 42” on most materials and 12”x18” on glass or metal. If you’re serious about printing your pictures, Picture This…Jackson is the place to do so. Whether it’s the way they’re displayed in the hall of your home or given to family members as a unique gift. They also offer gallery mounts, video and film transfers, collages, memorial presentations, yard signs, and banners. Kyle and his team can revive old video tapes and can even be trusted with restoring and scanning those vintage photos of past loved ones.

“It’s not just a picture business, it’s a memory business. It’s all about memories,” Kyle reflected, as he explained that serving not only Jackson but patrons who drive from all over the region to receive the service the team at Picture This…Jackson provides. Kyle continued that those who visit the store leave happy because they leave with a memory, whether that memory has been restored or digitally saved to enjoy for the rest of time. Neither Kyle nor David predicted how much success they would see when opening in 2009. “It kind of just happened,” Kyle said. The fact that thousands of people are thankful to have services like this in Jackson is really something special. Something Kyle hears all the time from people who drive from outside the area is along the lines of, “I wish our town had something like this.” Picture This…Jackson gets the opportunity to touch people’s lives, near and far.

Camera and film enthusiasts are thrilled to hear that Picture This…Jackson utilizes a wet lab versus a dry lab. Dry labs are often what you’ll see when printing your photos from the same places you buy your groceries, often ending up with low-quality prints. In a wet lab, laser beams expose an image on light-sensitive paper, ensuring a much clearer picture, perfect for professional photos.

When you’re not seeing the team in the store, you might find them at most local high schools photographing sports teams. You may have even seen them taking preschool pictures or even your professional headshot. They offer a wide variety of photography services, from corporate to sports leagues.

Picture This…Jackson is home to a small but mighty team. Kyle and David crossed paths a few times before working together professionally at their small shop in the mall, when David was doing photography on the side at the time. Now, David oversees all the tech and networking behind the business. He shoots leagues on the weekend and captures other events as well. Other team members include Roy, their product specialist, who “knocks it out of the park every time.” Michelle, the in-house graphic design expert. Paula manages the lab and shoots seniors. Megan works in the back room, doing the dye sublimation of products, and even fixes their machines, troubleshooting problems their equipment may have. Leo is a 75-year-old retired minister, who has always wanted to try photography. “He’s REALLY good,” Kyle shared. Craig is a former prison guard and is now an associate at the store, proving everyone has their niche. Wendy, Kyle’s wife, does the books and keeps the business in order behind the scenes. Mike teaches their ever-so-popular photography classes and is also an in-house graphic design expert.

Jackson is lucky to have such a unique asset. Memory making is one thing, but preserving and saving those memories for a lifetime is something that Picture This…Jackson specializes in. Stop in and see for yourself; you’ll find walls lined with countless ways to preserve memories of your own.